Dangerous Prescription

Nov. 13, 2003
60 minutes

As medications play an ever-increasing role in modern health care, the importance of FDA approval to consumers, it would seem, has never been greater. For many consumers, the phrase "FDA approved" signifies that a drug or product is completely safe and without risk. But just how much does the average American know about the FDA approval process and what it can -- and cannot -- do? How good is the FDA's system for identifying drugs that don't work or cause harm? And what happens when a harmful product makes its way into consumers' hands? FRONTLINE investigates the FDA and drug safety, and questions whether the current system is adequate for protecting the public.